A/HRC/39/42 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 13 August 2018 English Original: French Human Rights Council Thirty-ninth session 10–28 September 2018 Agenda items 2 and 10 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Technical assistance and capacity-building Human rights situation and the activities of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Summary In the present report, submitted pursuant to resolution 36/30 of the Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reports on the human rights situation and the activities of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between June 2017 and May 2018. He assesses, among other things, the progress made by the Government in implementing previous recommendations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and other United Nations human rights mechanisms. The High Commissioner commends the efforts of the Congolese authorities to combat impunity, and also to combat sexual violence. In this respect, he notes the convictions handed down on senior military officers for acts constituting human rights violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. He also notes the establishment by the Government of a joint commission to investigate human rights violations committed in connection with the demonstrations of 31 December 2017 and 21 January 2018. At the same time, however, the deterioration of the human rights situation across the country is very worrisome, in particular the marked increase in violations of civil and political rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in connection with the elections scheduled for December 2018 and the resurgence of violations and abuses linked to the activism of armed groups and operations of the defence and security forces in conflict-affected areas. The High Commissioner invites the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to implement all the recommendations set out in the present report and reaffirms the commitment of his Office to supporting the authorities in their efforts to promote and protect human rights. GE.18-13336 (E) 070918 070918 